Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Somehow, the characters in Clay Jacobsen's The Lasko Interview all seemed familiar to me, as if I have met them in a story somewhere before. Throughout the book, I thought maybe the same characters had been featured in other Jacobsen books, but I was mistaken. I guess that speaks to the success of Jacobsen's story-telling prowess in The Lasko Interview. It isn't often that a reader feels so familiar with a story as to have a sort of deja vu sense about a book he has never read and characters he has never met.

In The Lasko Interview, Jacobsen's very familiar Rick Treadway, an out of work television director and struggling Christian, finds himself caught in the midst of a murder mystery as a former co-worker turns up dead of an apparent suicide in his own home study. The deceased's misfortune becomes Rick's good fortune as he is chosen to replace him as the new director of a popular night time talk show. But Rick's good fortune quickly turns on him as he is mysteriously accused of killing the man to get the job.

Jacobsen weaves a seamless tale of mystery and suspense with one of a man who finds his relationship with God suddenly taking the most important place in his life. As Rick Treadway grows in his faith, advances in his career, and ignites a potential new love interest, the author subtly addresses some important issues with the church today. While Sunday services have commonly become about nothing more than what the people can do to make the church successful, many churches have taken to smaller study groups, or house churches, to connect with each other and with God in a more intimate way. Jacobsen's Treadway deals with the confusion of what the church really is, as many have found themselves doing lately.

While most modern day Christian fiction delivers either such a vague message that it's easily missed or such a blatant message that there is no storyline, Clay Jacobsen manages to take the reader into a compelling murder mystery while provoking him to think about faith and religion at the same time. Kudos to Jacobsen for doing that which so many Christian authors fail to achieve today.

I've got some great items for sale right now on Craigslist (check out the links at the top of the sidebar to the right.

Great things for sale, like a Garmin iQue 3600 GPS w/PDA. This one is a hard one to part with, but some things just have to be parted with.

Also, I have several great books (see the reviews on my site). Discounts are available for multiple purchases, and even though these items are all offered on Craigslist, just email me to arrange for shipping at a nominal cost. Click the pics below for details.

Plus, the first two people to purchase books will receive two autographed books for FREE!

Monday, June 22, 2009

Robert Liparulo introduced us to John Hutchinson in Deadfall, and his hero returns in Deadlock, still obsessed, and still fighting the evil he first encountered in Deadfall.

Having defeated Declan Page and his fire from Heaven weapon in Canada's Northwest Territory, John "Hutch" Hutchinson is still not convinced that Brendan Page -- billionaire Special Forces veteran, American military contractor, and father of Declan Page -- had no involvement in his son's Canadian reign of terror. So obsessed, in fact, is Hutch that his son has grown to feel neglected by Hutch.

When Hutch agrees to meet with Brendan Page in his commando-style military compound, everything goes wrong, and the hunter -- and his family and friends -- quickly become the hunted. As Robert Liparulo has done so far in each of his books, he takes the reader on a thrill ride in Deadlock that will find you literally immersed in the story. I would be surprised if you don't complete this book faster than nearly every other book you've ever read.

Hi,
Came across your blog about your dog. We are taking our lab mix into the vet today and I think she has the same thing. She started limping on her right rear leg a couple weeks ago. We just thought she hurt it as she has a few times before chasing cats or squirrels. Now it's got a big baseball sized swelling at her knee. Sad. Anyway, thanks for the info on your blog.

Please keep this dog and her family in your prayers, as they may have some tough times ahead.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

It is the very thing that completes me -- being a dad. It's what I do, who I am, why I am. And today, the world celebrated me.

Okay, my kids celebrated me, but hey, they're my world. The festivities started last night, when my son kept asking me to come in (from putting air in his inflatable pool) to watch the Reds play the White Sox with him. When I did, he ran upstairs and had a few words with his mother, then he and his sister presented me with an early Fathers Day gift: razors, barbecue chips (to eat during the game), a bag of Jolly Ranchers (he had just been introduced to them on Friday at the vet), and the best homemade greeting cards ever!

We munched on the chips and had some Jolly Ranchers last night while we watched the Reds lose to the White Sox. Then my son and I "camped in" together, meaning we stayed up for a while and slept in the living room.

This morning, when we woke up, the first thing my son said to me was "Happy Fathers Day." I was touched that he remembered to say it. While my wife was in the kitchen making homemade sausage gravy and biscuits and eggs for breakfast, I went up to wake up my little girl. The first thing she said to me, too, was "Happy Fathers Day." That was the real shocker, as she's only three years old.

After breakfast, we took the kids and the dog to the park to play and run and get some exercise, before loading up and heading to visit the in-laws in Terre Haute. The kids were pretty well behaved today.

After returning home, I spent about 45 minutes on the phone with my own father. We had a nice conversation, and he sounded to be doing quite well.

Fathers Day sadly comes only once a year. But being a Daddy comes every day, and I thank God for giving me the two greatest kids to be Daddy to!

Friday, June 19, 2009

Our Maddy is progressing along the road of recovery, after being diagnosed with cancer, or more specifically, Canine Osteosarcoma -- otherwise known as bone cancer. Today we made another trip to the doctor to have the sutures (from her amputation surgery) removed, which meant another car ride for Maddy. She absolutely loves riding in the car, and her excitement was palpable.

She was quite a trooper as the doctor removed the sutures, and bounded up and down the stairs going into the office as well as any four-legged dog would do. When we came home from the vet, the kids and I went into the back yard so the kids could play on their slip-n-slide, and Maddy followed us out to lie on her pillow and bask in the sun. She looked so happy and peaceful.

We aren't out of the woods yet. We're hoping that there has been minimal metastases of the cancer cells, and that the piroxicam regimen she's on will help to slow down the progression of any cells. We plan to return to the doctor in a month or so for a follow-up chest x-ray.

So far, though, our Maddy seems to be doing great. It makes me happy that we made the difficult decision to amputate rather than just trying to comfort her in her final months.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Our Maddy has been home for one week now after her leg amputation surgery, and she has been improving quite well. She spends a lot of time sleeping, but her last dose of pain medicine and antibiotics was today, so hopefully she'll bound back with more energy soon. The pain medication she's on is known to cause drowsiness, as are most pain medications.

She is quite energetic at times. We've been trying to take her on a short daily walk down to the end of our cul de sac and back, and she loves it. She even tries to pull on the leash and lead the walk, just like she has always done.

We'll be headed back to the vet on Friday (probably) for a check up and to have her stitches removed. It's amazing how quickly animals rebound after such major surgery as the loss of a limb. Could you imagine if you lost a limb? Could you bounce back so quickly as this? Share your thoughts.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

I find it interesting that, just two days ago, the following video was added to YouTube by the Mitch Daniels 2008 Reelection (Indiana Governor) campaign. If you aren't familiar with Mitch Daniels and Indiana, he won election in 2008 by a very large margin, and the following video was a very early video from his reelection campaign.

What I find interesting is that, if Mitch is firm about not running for President in 2012, why would he want to focus on and remind people on his hugely successful campaigns (2004 and 2008), and his real live interaction with the people? Sorry, Mitch, but I'm still not convinced that you won't be running in 2012.

Five months ago, the United States of America inaugurated our forty-forth president. Many have their doubts about his qualifications and even his eligibility, some even have doubts about his fundraising tactics during the campaign. Others have virtually bowed down to worship him as the candidate of Hope and Change, so much so that he has become widely known as the "Obamassiah" -- as if he were some great savior for our country.

But what if the Messiah really did return to earth and run for the highest office in the land? What if America really did find her savior in the form of none other and the Son of God, Jesus Christ? Someone with undisputeable morals, pure motives, and the power to fulfill every one of His campaign promises?

When a child falls from a third-story balcony, dies, then lives to tell about it, the parents credit a man who breathed life back into their child then vanished. The media and others play it off as a hoax. But when a hospitalized young child suddenly appears cured of her terminal illness, and she and her parents credit a mystery visitor who laid His hand on her and spoke to her some words of encouragement, the media begins to become more interested in this "Good Visitor" who keeps popping up in the right place at the right time.

When the Good Visitor, much like Jesus Christ did in the New Testament, calls upon the most unlikely of society to help Him prepare and run His surprise presidential campaign, American Savior takes off without looking back. What if Jesus Christ had to address today's tough issues of abortion, war, healthcare, and taxes? Would he have some kind of divine insight to tackle the problems we face today?

Most importantly, would America embrace the return of this Risen Savior? Or would we treat Him today as He was treated almost two thousand years ago by the powers of that time?

Author Roland Merullo answers those questions, and many more, in this fictional glimpse into American politics. American Savior is a must read for anyone who has ever pondered these thoughts, as well as anyone who just loves to dabble in politics. Roland Merullo does not disappoint.

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